


What We Write in the Shadows

by distantattraction



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cunnilingus, F/M, Sexual Roleplay, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:14:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26210029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distantattraction/pseuds/distantattraction
Summary: Sylvain and Bernadetta frequently sleep together, roleplaying different scenarios so Bernadetta can get a better sense of how to write various steamy settings for her novels. This time, Sylvain is playing a vampire.
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 16
Kudos: 95





	What We Write in the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Fodlan Secrets](https://twitter.com/fodlansecrets) zine.

It's far from the first time they've slept together, but Bernadetta never gets any less shy about it. She's invited Sylvain to bed, he's happily joined her, and they've both taken off their clothes. It's surprising how easily she accepts the physical aspects of sex despite her debilitating insecurity. But as soon as Sylvain asks her to talk, Bernadetta loses the ability to form words. It's a strange habit for a writer to have.

"Will you please tell me what the book is about?" Sylvain asks. He lies with his head and chest on her belly, her legs outstretched on either side of his torso. He clasps his hands together beseechingly.

His puppy dog eyes are no match for Bernadetta's self-inflicted distress. She looks away and blushes. "No, it's embarrassing."

"If you don't tell me, I can't do it right. And isn't that the whole point of sleeping with me? I don't want to fuck up your research. You'll be mad too if you don't get the information you need."

"I don't want to say it out loud."

"Will you write it down for me?" Bernadetta shakes her head. "Can I see what you've written so far, then?" Another, more vigorous shake of the head. He should have expected that. He still has to fight tooth and nail to get her to let him read the stories he's modeled for.

Sylvain lets out a melodramatic sigh. "I suppose I'll just have to guess until you tell me I'm right. Let's see... A princess's forbidden romance with a stableboy. A princess's forbidden romance with another princess. Two soldiers the first night after the war ends. A pirate captain and a governor's daughter. Am I close? No? A king who has fallen in love with a visiting ambassador, unbeknownst to the queen. A writer who has a lot of hot sex with her friend to research her steamiest novels--"

Bernadetta shrieks. "I give up! I surrender! I'll say it, just stop!" Sylvain waits expectantly while she sulks. "It's vampires, okay? Vampires. Well, _a_ vampire."

"Vampires?" Sylvain repeats. "That's what you were worried about telling me? That's not weird. It's pretty sexy, actually."

"No, it's weird. That's not a _job._ Everything else I've asked you to help with was realistic. This is just supernatural nonsense."

" _Sexy_ supernatural nonsense." Bernadetta makes a face at him, and Sylvain laughs. "Come on, Bernie! Don't take everything so seriously. Sex and erotica are supposed to be fun! And I know exactly what to do."

"And what's that?" 

"Get a taste of you." Sylvain crawls up the bed until he can capture her lips with his own. He starts out gentle, but his kisses soon grow long and deep. He tangles his hands in Bernadetta's hair, drawing her closer while he moves his tongue against hers. She's breathless when he finally pulls away.

"What's your vampire like?" Sylvain asks. "Is he kind?"

"Unfortunately not. He's selfish, always taking what he thinks he's owed. But the intercourse is so good that it makes her want him to take her."

Sylvain snorts. "'Intercourse'! Goddess, Bernie, after all the smut you've written, I thought you'd at least be able to call it sex."

"I keep telling you it's different to say something than it is to write it!"

"Alright. What else? How does your vampire engage in coitus with his lover? How wildly do they fornicate--no, copulate--"

"Cut that out!" Bernie smacks his shoulder. "Don't make fun of me." She pouts, which is so cute that Sylvain simply cannot resist the temptation to lean in and kiss her. She kisses back, though the frown remains on her face.

"Alright, alright. When they _make love,_ " he lays a gentle emphasis on the phrase, "how does he touch her? Who comes first?"

"With surprising tenderness. For a while, it seems like the only time he's ever generous is when they're in bed. And she comes first. He doesn't bite her neck until she does."

"Ooh, that's hot. Extra sexy orgasm, got it."

He dips his head down to her chest, mouthing at one breast and massaging the other with his hand. "A vampire should do a lot of mouth stuff," Sylvain says, running his tongue around her nipple. "It's a good contrast: pointed fangs next to a soft breast, maybe even grazing a nipple. It's enough to send a shiver down my spine." He reaches beneath her to trace the line of her backbone. Bernadetta trembles in his grasp.

Sylvain moves further down the bed, settling with his head between her thighs. He passes light fingertips along the seam where her legs meet her hips. Sylvain strokes the backs of her knees, kisses her stomach, sucks marks onto her inner thighs; he does everything except touch her vulva directly.

Bernadetta grabs a fistful of his hair and tugs harder than she probably intends. " _Sylvain,_ " she says, "you're teasing me."

"Absolutely," Sylvain says, his lips curving up into a smirk. "And look how wet it's made you." He rubs the backs of his fingers against her pussy lips. She gasps, her hips twitching toward his hand.

"You're not going to keep tormenting me, are you?"

"And deprive myself of the opportunity to eat you out? Never." To drive his point home, Sylvain licks her long and slow with the flat of his tongue. He carefully spreads her labia before licking her again. Bernadetta clenches her toes, a shuddering moan leaving her mouth. Her hand relaxes in his hair.

Sylvain takes his time, savoring the taste of her on his tongue. He barely touches her clit. He gives it a few strokes through the hood with his thumb, but he focuses on keeping a steady rhythm of licking and sucking on her labia. Bernadetta grinds her pussy against his face, leaving a trail of juices down his chin. He licks his lips before diving back in. 

If pressed, Sylvain might admit that he doesn't enjoy having sex as much as he pretends, but there's nothing fake about his enthusiasm for eating pussy. He could spend hours between someone's legs, especially when that person responds as well as Bernadetta does. She gasps when he reaches up to play with her nipples, and her fingernails scrape his scalp as Sylvain sets his lips around her clit and sucks. Then he goes back to pretending he doesn't know where it is.

"Sylvain!" Bernadetta holds out his name in a high-pitched whine that he finds deeply endearing. "Stop messing around."

Sylvain pulls away from her pussy to nibble at her thigh. "Whatever do you mean?"

Bernadetta scrunches up her face. She yanks his head back into place and crosses her ankles behind his back to keep him there. Sylvain blinks. "No more games," he says. "I got it."

He slips two fingers inside of her and thrusts, setting an aggressive pace. He keeps his thumb steady against her clit as his fingers pulse inside of her. His tongue dances between her clit and labia. Sex is his instrument, and Sylvain wants to make her sing.

Bernadetta throws her head back and moans. She's so wet. His fingers are slick with her arousal, and Sylvain is suddenly very aware of how hard he is. He strokes himself with his free hand, humming against her skin at the welcome friction.

He's just thinking about what he should do to make her come when Bernadetta tugs on his hair again. Sylvain pulls back, a trail of saliva stretching between his mouth and her vulva.

"Come here." Sylvain obediently makes his way up the bed, leaning down so Bernadetta can kiss him when she gestures. "No more oral," she says.

"Aww. I was looking forward to tasting your cum. I bet it's even sweeter than your blood." He eyes her throat and licks his lips.

Bernadetta quickly turns her head away, eyes wide with panic and a blush rising in her cheeks. The new angle leaves her neck exposed. With a shrug, Sylvain leans in to take what he's been offered.

Bernadetta yelps when his teeth graze her skin. She slaps her hand over her neck, glaring at him. "What was that?"

"Isn't that what you wanted me to do?" Sylvain asks innocently. He tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing more of her skin. "You were flaunting that delicious throat of yours. How could you expect me not to take a bite?"

"That's later!" Bernadetta hisses. "I just wanted you to... to..." She trails off, her voice getting quieter and quieter. Sylvain keeps playing with her hair while he waits for her to continue. When she speaks again, it's in a whisper. "I wanted you to be inside me," she says.

Sylvain freezes. His mouth goes very dry. He swallows. "Yeah, I can do that," he says. He pretends his dick isn't about to burst just from hearing her ask for it.

"Imagine fangs," he says. He trails his teeth along her jaw, her throat. He captures her lips in a kiss that ends with Sylvain nibbling at her lower lip. He sets the head of his dick at her entrance and presses himself inside. He gives her a few slow, easy thrusts before putting his hand between her legs. Bernadetta makes a fist in the bedsheets and whimpers when he plays with her clit.

"You're so good at this," she says. "How did you get so good at this?"

Sylvain chuckles. "Good at what, sex? I get a lot of practice in."

"Not that, silly. The roleplaying. You're so enthusiastic."

"Oh, that. I dunno. It's fun, isn't it? It's like we're writing the story together." Sylvain frowns. "Sorry for making you do all the hard work while I just help with the fun part."

"Don't be sorry, it's helpful." Bernadetta draws him in for a kiss. Her lips are soft, her touch reassuring. And then Sylvain rolls his hips into hers.

He hits the right spot to take the breath out of her lungs. "Goddess," Bernadetta whispers.

"Can she love you as well as I do? Can she make love to you like this?"

"Oh, you are _cocky_."

"What can I say? I have confidence in my sexual abilities. This is far from the first time I've fed on a pretty lady like you." Sylvain bites gently at the curve of her ear. "But you taste far better than any of the others."

Bernadetta goes bright red, the way she does every time he speaks with his lips close enough to brush her ear. Still, she fakes a glare at him. "You had best be careful," she says, "lest your food seize the chance to bite back."

Genuine delight dances in Sylvain's eyes. Bernadetta is much shyer about the roleplaying than Sylvain is, but she's _terrific_ when she commits to a character.

Sylvain wraps his hand in her hair and pulls just hard enough to tilt Bernadetta's head back. The line of her exposed throat is temptation manifested, her skin pale and begging to be marked. Sylvain leans in, then hesitates.

"Is it okay to leave marks here?" he asks. They have rules. Parts of Bernadetta's skin that are covered by her clothes are fair game, but her neck is uncharted territory. If Bernadetta convinces herself that he's trying to humiliate her on purpose, Sylvain will never forgive himself.

Bernadetta gulps, but she nods.

He starts at her collarbone. He bites first, enough to make her think of fangs without leaving impressions of his teeth on her skin. Sylvain runs a soothing tongue over the bite before pressing his lips to her collarbone and sucking.

It's a perfect little red circle that matches the flush in her cheeks. Sylvain has seen a lot of these, has given and received more than anyone should ever bother counting, but it's cuter on Bernadetta than anyone else.

The second hickey goes on her throat. He hears her gasp as he sucks, feels the hum of air rushing through her windpipe as he marks her. He leaves the third hickey just above the second, a matching set like a vampire's bite. "Aren't you a pretty picture," Sylvain murmurs, "all laid out for me like this. I could eat you right up."

Sylvain hooks her knees over his forearms, holding her legs up against her torso. He leans in close, Bernadetta's breasts pressing against his chest, and kisses her. "What do you say, fair maiden? Will you let me eat you?"

Bernadetta grips his arm, her nails digging into his shoulder as his cock plunges deep inside her. "Yes."

Sylvain chuckles, a low and almost menacing rumble that is cut by an undertone of warmth. "My, my, so willing. If only feeding was always so easy."

"Don't think-- _Goddess,_ that's good--don't think I'm not going to put you to work before I let you feed on me. I'll have you satisfy me before you get your meal."

This time, Sylvain's laugh is bright. "Is that so? Well, I'll make sure that you get your fill of me before I fill up on you."

"Better get on with it, then."

The attitude! It's delicious. "As you command, my lady," Sylvain says. He nudges her hips a little higher, moves his own hips a little faster. Bernadetta gasps and moans as Sylvain aims his thrusts up and hits the sensitive spots inside her.

Bernadetta reaches down, her hand skimming reluctantly across her stomach. She hesitates when her fingertips reach her pubic hair, so Sylvain tugs her hand the rest of the way. "Touch yourself," he says encouragingly. Bernadetta jumps and tries to pull her hand back, but Sylvain keeps it in place. "It'll feel better if you do."

It's true, and they both know it. It is also one of the many things that Bernadetta finds too embarrassing to do regularly.

He slides his fingers between Bernadetta's, moving her hand so their joined fingertips graze her clit. She quivers beneath him. "Come on, Bernie," Sylvain says. "You know how to do this, right? I touch you like this every time. You're a smart girl. I'm sure you figured out the technique ages ago."

She bites her lip. Not in a sexy way, just one of her anxious habits, like her furrowed brow. Sylvain kisses her wrinkled forehead to chase her frown away. "Have a little faith in yourself. You've got this."

Sylvain takes his hand away and watches, smiling, as she lays her fingers on either side of her clit. She blushes hard from the weight of his gaze on her, but she keeps touching herself. She's so beautiful like this, with her hair spread out on a pillow and her whole body trembling with pleasure.

Bernadetta lets her eyes close as she plays with her clit. Sylvain reaches out to trail the back of his hand up her waist. The light scrape of his nails makes Bernadetta shiver, but it's his fingertips caressing her breast and brushing her nipple that makes her moan.

"Sylvain," she says, "I want to be closer."

"I've got you." He pulls out so he can change their position. He lets her legs fall into the mattress, pushes her gently onto her side, and pulls her to his chest. Bernadetta reaches back for him, her hand finding his hair. Sylvain lays kisses down her neck. She moans when he slides his cock between her legs. "Is this better?" he asks.

"Yeah," Bernadetta says, "this is good. Feels good."

He tilts her head toward him so he can press a kiss to her lips before he reaches down to play with her clit. Bernadetta grabs his wrist and grinds against his hand. She chews on her bottom lip with her eyes squeezed shut, too overwhelmed to touch herself anymore.

Sylvain, on the other hand, excels at multitasking in bed. The movement of his hips is instinctive, so he splits his attention between rubbing Bernadetta's clit and giving her neck as much attention as he can muster. He licks and kisses his way from her collarbone up to her earlobe, which he takes between his teeth in a quick little nip. Bernadetta's grip on his arm tightens.

"Are you close, Bernie?" Sylvain asks, his breath hot against her ear. She nods, curling into his touch.

"Yes, keep going, yes, _yes,_ " Bernadetta pants, her legs twitching against his. Sylvain focuses on keeping the rhythm of his hips and hand relentlessly steady to coax an orgasm out of her.

She tenses, digging her nails into Sylvain's forearm and squeezing his cock. He waits for the pressure to make way for her climax. It happens suddenly.

On cue, Sylvain sinks his teeth into Bernadetta's neck. She lets out a gasp. There's surprise in it, and maybe a trace of pain, but the moan that follows is closer to ecstasy. It's that sound that makes Sylvain come. He thrusts into her one last time before releasing inside her with a low groan of his own. His eyes flutter shut as he goes soft.

Post-orgasm drowsiness settles over Sylvain, as it always does. He pulls out and snuggles up against Bernadetta, burying his face in her hair while he reminds himself to stay awake. The mess he's made inside her is his responsibility to clean up. Sylvain has been taking something for sterility for years, but this is a matter of courtesy.

Bernadetta is unusually restless beside him. "You okay?" he asks, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." But she keeps fidgeting.

"Are you sure? Was there something else you wanted me to do?" Sylvain is pretty sure he covered everything she mentioned beforehand, but Bernadetta is constantly coming up with new ideas and scenarios. It wouldn't be the first time she thought something up in the middle of sex and brought it up later.

"No. Well, yes. I mean..." She wrings her hands. "You know how you were eating me earlier, and I didn't let you finish? Could you do that again? Or we can just go to sleep."

Sylvain sits up, suddenly feeling wide awake. "Are you serious?"

"Of course, you wouldn't want to now. Okay, let's sleep! Good night, Sylvain."

"Bernie, I wasn't being sarcastic," he says with a laugh. "I'm _excited._ I get to eat you out."

Bernadetta does not meet his gaze. "If you... If you want to." Her voice is quiet.

"Nothing, and I really do mean nothing, would bring me greater joy." Sylvain slides down the bed and settles between her legs. Her clit and pussy lips are still pink and engorged from arousal. They look even pinker with cum dripping out of her. Sylvain licks his lips. "Who do you want, Count Whatever or plain old Sylvain?"

"I like plain old Sylvain. You're kind of mean to him, but he's nice to me."

His mouth twitches upward in a smile he cannot control. He ducks down below Bernadetta's thighs so she won't see it. "He likes you too," Sylvain says. Ugh, this stupid, goofy smile. He can't get rid of it! He presses his traitor lips to the marks he left on Bernadetta's thigh, trying to feel more like the fun, sexy Sylvain he's supposed to be.

It doesn't work, but Sylvain is nothing if not an expert at faking it until he makes it. He drags his tongue up Bernadetta's thigh and across her vulva, getting his first taste of their cum mixed together. He's never done this after sex with Bernadetta before.

"You taste so fucking good," he says. Sylvain keeps his tongue flat against her, licking up in wide strokes. He sucks lightly at her swollen lips before sliding two fingers inside her. "We should start doing this more. I'm always up for having another taste of you."

"If you keep talking like that, I'm gonna make you stop," Bernadetta says. Embarrassment is clear in her voice, but it's not so strong that she pushes him away. Sylvain pushes his tongue inside her, getting a mouthful of his own cum. It doesn't taste as good as Bernadetta's. He's kind of jealous.

"Don't say that," Sylvain says after he swallows. "This is my one real skill. I'd be sad if you didn't let me use it." He swipes his tongue over Bernadetta's clit, and she squeezes hard around his fingers. "I think you'd be sad, too."

Bernadetta pouts, but she doesn't disagree. Score one for Sylvain. He starts thrusting his fingers while he licks her, pausing only to lap up stray semen when it drips down his hand. His tongue traces the line of her labia. He licks up and down in a steady rhythm, only brushing her clit on every fourth pass. She shivers and bites her lip as Sylvain works his way up to every third pass, then every other, until finally he's doing nothing but licking and sucking at her clit.

One of Bernadetta's hands goes up to cover her mouth. The other grips Sylvain's hair and pushes his head down with a firmness that always surprises him. He braces his free hand against her leg to stop Bernadetta from crushing his head with her thighs. It's a great way to die, but now is not the time.

Bernadetta's moans grow short and strained. She tightens around Sylvain's fingers so much that it almost hurts. Her nails dig into his scalp as her body tenses. And then orgasm comes over her in waves, carrying the tension away like a falling tide. "Fuck," she whispers.

Sylvain sits up, his mouth and chin shining from her release. "That good, huh?" he asks.

"Oh, Seiros, I'm sorry," Bernadetta says, searching for something to wipe his face with. "Where is my bag? I have a handkerchief in there somewhere..."

"It's fine." Sylvain wipes his face on his arm. "Coming on my face is just your body's way of showing me I'm doing a good job." He winks. Bernadetta looks mortified. "Bernie, it's fine. The bathroom is right there. I'll go wash my face, you can pee, and then we can hang out and chat. Maybe you can tell me more about your vampire story?"

"I... Okay," Bernadetta says.

When they come back from the bathroom, Sylvain tugs his underwear over his hips, while Bernadetta produces a fresh pair of panties and a nightgown from her bag. Once she's dressed, she slides under the covers beside Sylvain and reads from the outline in her notebook.

The vampire is not a count, as it turns out, but the woman he pursues is a duchess. "He tells her he's looking for power," Bernadetta says, "but he's really just looking for a home. The need to belong somewhere gives him back his humanity."

Sylvain lays his head on her shoulder. From here, he can see that Bernadetta's notebook is covered in complex notes about her characters and plots. "I love that about your stories, you know."

"What?"

"That they always have heart. And that you have these intense notes for every story. You're passionate about what you write, and it shows."

She blushes, but she also smiles. "Thanks, Sylvain. It makes me happy to hear that."

He looks at her for a long time. Long enough for her smile to fade into something more inquisitive. "What is it?" she asks, but Sylvain doesn't have an answer for her. Instead of searching for one, he leans up to kiss her. His hand caresses her cheek. He lingers with his lips on hers for longer than usual. 

Bernadetta tilts her head questioningly. "What's up with you? You're acting odd."

"Am I?" Sylvain says. "It's nothing. Tell me more about the duchess."

"She had to struggle against her family to be allowed to take over as duchess without having a husband. This isn't the first time a man has tried to use her for her title and property. But she cares about the people in her lands, and eventually the vampire cares, too. She wouldn't choose him if he didn't." Sylvain nods along, but his eyes are glassy. Bernadetta waves her hand in front of his face. "You're not paying attention. Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

He blinks, his eyes coming back into focus so he can look at her. "No, not at all! I was just thinking about something."

"What? Tell me! Do you have story ideas? Plot suggestions?"

"No. Well, I have a couple, but I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about us."

"Us?"

"I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out with me," Sylvain says hesitantly. "Like, not for story research, but to get to know each other better. And spend time together. Romantically. As a couple."

Sylvain pauses, waiting for Bernadetta to give him any kind of response. She does not. She stares at him with her jaw hanging open. "Bernie? Are you still there? If this is such a horrible idea that you can't even vocalize how terrible it is, blink twice, and we'll pretend I never asked."

"No! It's not that!" Bernadetta squeezes her eyes shut so she doesn't accidentally blink. "I'm just... surprised. I've never thought about _dating_ you before."

Sylvain laughs. "We've had sex all these times, and you've never thought about dating me? I think about dating you all the time! I just figured you wouldn't want to."

"Why wouldn't I want to?" 

"Because, you know. My reputation?" Bernadetta frowns. With her eyes closed, it's like her whole face is coming together between her eyebrows. It's cute, but the lack of eye contact makes him lonely. "Um, you don't have to give me an answer right away, but can you open your eyes?" Sylvain asks.

She does. "Hi," Bernadetta says.

"Hi." Sylvain smiles warmly at her.

"Do you really want to date me?" she asks. Bernadetta takes Sylvain's hands in her own. She searches his face for any sign of deceit.

There aren't any to find. "I really do," he says.

She keeps staring at him. He stares back. Her eyes are stormcloud gray, but warm and somehow calming. He's been caught in storms before, but looking at Bernadetta always feels more like coming home to a burning hearth.

When the sharpness of her gaze softens and the corners of her eyes start to crinkle, Sylvain knows that she's made her choice. "Okay," she says. "I'll go out with you."

"Are you serious?!" Sylvain asks, his voice cracking with excitement. Oh no, that's embarrassing. Sylvain clears his throat and aims for suave. "I mean, I'm glad to hear it."

Bernadetta laughs openly at that, but not unkindly. Sylvain's cavalier expression is gone again, taken over by a fond smile.

"Can I kiss you?" he asks.

She smiles back and nods.

When he pulls away, his lips wet with her saliva, he finds that her smile has shifted into concern. "What's wrong?" he asks, brushing her hair out of her face.

Bernadetta chews on her lip. The question that comes out of her mouth shocks him. "You don't only like me for my stories, do you?"

Sylvain pulls back, clutching his chest dramatically. "Bernadetta! You wound me! How could you say that?"

"Why wouldn't I! It doesn't make any sense. You're really charming and popular, and you like my stupid books even though I'm annoying and terrified and not pretty and not marriageable and--"

"You are delusional if you think you're not one of the cutest girls in the city," Sylvain interrupts. "You're sweet, you're compassionate, and you're so thoughtful it paralyzes you. You're only scared all the time because you care about people. You even gave a piece of shit like me a chance. You're a goddamn catch, Bernie."

Bernadetta vanishes. Sylvain blinks at the blanket-covered mound where she sat a second ago. "I wish you hadn't said all that," the mound mumbles.

"I wasn't lying. I wasn't even exaggerating." Sylvain wraps his arms around the lump, guessing at where her torso is. "And I don't just _like_ your stories. The way you weave a story is downright magical. I've never cried or laughed harder at anything than I did reading your second book. I love your writing."

"You love it, huh?" Bernadetta says. Even through the blankets, Sylvain can hear the smile on her face. "I knew it. You do like my writing more than me."

"You--!" Sylvain pulls the blankets away, revealing a wide grin on Bernadetta's face that matches his own. "If you keep teasing me, I'll just compliment you more."

"Then I'll run away."

"How?" He squeezes her waist. "I'm a very persistent cuddler. I'm like one of your beloved carnivorous plants, and you are a cute little bug that's trapped in my love."

She groans. "Can we just go to sleep? I think I'm having a nightmare."

"Only if I get to kiss you goodnight."

He kisses her on the forehead before plopping down onto the bed, his arms open so she can snuggle up against him or claim the other half of the bed for herself. She stays where she is, though she rearranges the blankets to cover both of them."Good night, Bernie."

"Good night," she says. She relaxes into him, a peaceful silence settling over them. And then Bernadetta says, "Sylvain?"

"Yeah?"

"What do people _do_ when they're dating?"

A brief moment of silence, and then Sylvain's roaring laughter crashes over them like a wave. They've really come full circle now. He wipes an actual tear of mirth from his eye.

Bernadetta slaps his chest. "It was a real question! I've never done this before. Everything I know comes from books."

"Don't worry about it!" Sylvain says, still chuckling. "We can go on a date tomorrow. I'll show you."

Bernadetta settles back down, her head sinking into the pillow. Under the sheets, she lays her hand on his. "Okay," she says. "That sounds fun."

**Author's Note:**

> sylvadetta is a cute ship and I love them.
> 
> Visit me on twitter [@bottomsylvain](https://twitter.com/bottomsylvain) or retweet this fic [here](https://twitter.com/bottomsylvain/status/1300902205646536704) :)


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